Book-holder.



I. BOYD. BooK HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED ALIG27, |917,

PatentedNov. 20, 1917.

AT1-o R NEX.

"UiviTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN GLOVER-WSQNS, OEHJASGOW .SCOTLAND- f BooK-Hernan.

Specification of iettersPatent. 'i I 'Patentgdlovpg'o 19117.

To all whom t may concern: a

ABe it known thatl, JOHN ,BOXD, a subject ,l of the King of the United KingdomofGreat Britain and: Ireland, and residingaatfshettleston, Glasgow, Scotland,` have invented a .certain new and useful* Improvementgin;

Book-Holders, of which the'following is; a specification.

This invention-nelatesnnanlyto imgproyements in socketecarried jbookillclders designed Vfor convenient attachment internal@ to articles of furniture such as commodes, bed-tables, bed-steads, arm chai-rs, etc., the latter :being provided with a suitable, preferab y tapered, fixed socket by-whfichethe vlower tapered end of a vertical {spind-lepart off-the book-holder is .carried ,andni'ng which it swivels.

I One object ofthe invention is to provide a construction of the type comprisingrparallel links movable in unison-,on pivots' at both ends to permit variation oftheelevation of the book-tray without tilting the latter and its spindleand a socketatthe fdistal -endof the links combined with a novel andsimple device so designed as to allow of convenient adjustment and to permit the book-tray to be readily raised and lowered and securely sustained at any desired elevation, so as to hold any size of book, whether small or fairly large, at any height and angle to suit the reader sitting in an arm chair or reclining in bed with his head resting on a pillow, whether lying on his back or on his right or left side.

A further object is to provide an improved form of book-tray of the type adapted to be tilted in its own plane and also transversely thereto; the improved tray having two straight edges formed with upstanding ledges on either or both of which a book may be rested according to the inclination of the tray.

One practical form of book support according to the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan representing the complete article, the book-tray being shown disposed in a vertical plane; Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the book-tray and associated fittings. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views showing modiiied forms of sockets to receive the tapered part of the vertical spindle i ,above referredto1 tof which. a ,variety fmay ,sometimes -I be required. l

As shown, the complete ibookholder ycomprises astayfconstituted by apa-ir of parallel links l, 2 pivotallyconnected,at .their proxi- Y mal ends to afswivieling -verticalspindle 3, whichis preferably 4`tapered atits lower end, asl-shown, and4 ladapted tofturnjin a suitable correspondinglygtapered, uertica'l socket V4,

sfilare@,tov suit thefarticle to which it tube fsecured. 2, The 1links l Aandj 2, `\-wh.ich lmay-be neither flator tubular, vare movable-in unison oni pivots L5. 6 carried, as shown in the vdrawings, :by lflugsor other i means vconnected to or integral withthef; spindle 3,,and arepiv- .otally connected at ,their distal -.ends,iyby means ofpivots 7, 8, to similarlugs lor-,projections of the, vertical socketfillmber: 9 p hereinafter vreferred to. i

The ,f lupper, 1 2link 1; .is preferablytforined with a talpiece; l0 :adapted tobeengaged, by Va relatively large and Ipreferably) ,,knurled head of a set-screwll preferably screwed into :the .vertical spindle foixby! a nut-.on a `Ascrew-threaded extension of the spindle 3, whereby the distal ends of the links may by manual adjustment of the set-screw 11 be readily raised or lowered to any desired eX- tent and thereby the elevation of the booktray correspondingly altered, so that it may be maintained at any desired height.

The socket member 9 to which are pivoted the distal ends of the links 1 and 2 is formed preferably with a vertical tapered orifice to receive and sustain the lower end of a vertical spindle 12 the head of which is partly split or bifurcated to accommodate a depending sectoral bracket part 13 of a plate 14 adjustably secured to the book-tray 15, a pin 16 passing through the split head of the spindle 12 serving as a pivot for the bracket 13, a inger-and-thumb set-screw 17 being provided to hold the sectoral bracket 13 in any desired position of adjustment between limiting positions determined by stops ie, 132.

A cheese-headed screw 12 screwed against the lower end of the socket 9 prevents the vertical spindle 12 from being lifted out of its socket 9.

The plate 14 is adjustably connected with a stiiiening plate 21 preferably secured to the book-tray 15 by three small screws 15, 15b and 15C. The plate 2l is mounted on and swivels on a stud 18 secured to and perpendicular to the plane of the plate 14 and the latter is formed with an'arcuate slot 19 concentric with the pivot stud 18 for engagement by a screw 2O secured to and perpendicular to the plane of the stiiening plate 21 and itted with an adjustable washer 20 and thumb-nut 202 whereby the book-tray may be retained in any desired position of adjustment in relation to the pivot-stud 18.

The book-tray is shown as being of substantially quadrant shape,` the two straight edges being provided with upstanding ledges by one of which alone the book is supported when the book-tray is in its normal vertical lmovement, said links being connected at the position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and by both of which ledges the book is supported when the tray is tilted as shown in hatched lines to suit a reader lying on his right or left side with his'head resting on a pillow. Each ledge is fitted with one or more desk hooks d, such desk hooksy being adapted to be swung into and out of operative position to hold Vdown the leaves of the book. When each ledge is fitted with a single desk hook, as shown, a third desk hook is desirably provided at the corner or point of intersection of the ledges.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the range of adjustment is such as to permit the support to carry a book set with its pages open in a plane at any desired angle and that with the support adjusted the book can be conveniently read no matter at which side of the bed or the like the readers head may be rested.

The book-tray 15 set horizontally may also be conveniently used as a tea-tray, if desired; or with the plate 14C, bracket 13 and spindle 12 may be incorporated as a component part in book-holders and bedtables of diii'erent construction.

What I claim is `In a book-holder of the type described7 the combination of a socket-member, a spindle to swivel in said socket member, parallel links mounted for simultaneous tilting proximal end to said spindle7 one of said links being provided with a tail piece, means engageable with said tail piece for maintaining said links in any desired angular position, `aV socket to .which said links are connected at the distal end, a spindle iitted to said socket, and a book-tray pivotally sustained by said second mentioned spindle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

v JOHN BOYD. Witnesses:

HENRY MASON, KATHARINE FOTHERINGHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

